title: A rare cause of acute heart failure.
abstract: We describe a rare clinical case of ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm (RSVA) into the right ventricle, complicated with severe aortic regurgitation (AR) and myocardial ischaemia. The AR was caused by a hemodynamic effect solely, in which the shunt of blood flow through the ruptured site pulled the right aortic cusp away from closure. The pathological mechanism of the AR was clearly visualized by transesophageal echocardiography. Early successful primary closure of the RSVA resulted in resolution of the associated AR without any additional procedure.
authors.affiliation: Serviços de Cardiologia e de Cirurgia Cardiotorácica do Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/ Espinho e Serviço de Medicina Interna do Centro Hospitalar do Nordeste - Portugal.
authors.forename: Eulália
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Anabela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaz
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ponte
authors.forename: Nelson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Paulo
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Conceição
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Adelaide
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Domingos
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Primo
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vouga
authors.forename: Vasco
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gama
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012850:Sinus of Valsalva / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult